A passenger with a deadly secret. Six rebels on the run. An assassin in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything -- or anyone -- to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But, the greatest danger of all may be on their ship. From the mind of Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) comes a new edge-of-your-seat adventure loaded with explosive battles, gripping special effects and fantastic new worlds!

"Not since the Matrix has a movie rocked so relentlessly!Mark S. Allen, UPN-TV/Premiere Radio Networks"An absolute blast.John Procaccino, CBS-TV"Slamming Action Sequences.Tom Long, The Detroit News"The funny, adventurous Serenity proves there is life after cancellation.Christian Toto, Washington Times"...flies with sass and spirit, qualities that have been in palpably short supply in that Star Wars series since, well, Star Wars.Jan Stuart, NewsDay"...superior in almost every respect to George Lucas's aggressively more ambitious screen entertainments.Manohla Dargis, The New York Times"A triumph! A thrillingly original science fiction creation.Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

Editor's Note

Beloved television cult director Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL) makes a spectacular first foray onto the big screen with SERENITY, the cinematic adaptation of his wildly popular but short-lived sci-fi series, FIREFLY. A mix of space western, comedy, and drama, SERENITY follows captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his ragtag crew as they trade their way around the edges of civilized society. Of particular interest are two passengers they take on, Simon and River Tam (Sean Maher, Summer Glau), a brother and his telepathic sister on the run from the corrupt governing Alliance. As notorious former members of the anti-Alliance opposition, Mal and his crew make it difficult for Simon and River to stay hidden. Everything goes completely awry when a government assassin is sent to retrieve River. As Mal is forced to choose between his close-knit crew and the brother and sister newcomers, it becomes apparent that River harbors both a dangerous secret and astounding fighting powers, and Mal decides that discovering the truth about what she knows might just be worth his time.

Many of the film's action sequences revolve around Summer Glau's martial arts skills in her portrayal of River. Glau prepared for her role with Hong Kong stuntwoman Ming Lu, as well as stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and Hiro Koda, and as a resulted performed nearly all the stuntwork herself. In addition to the stellar stunts, realistic graphics, and an often haunting score, the film's actors display a rare chemistry that brings viewers both into their lives and into a possible version of humanity's future.

Somehow, in the wake of Lucas’ CGI evisceration of his own work and overblown space operas like The Chronicles of Riddick, somebody still knows how to put together an outer-space romp that trades just as heavily on quips and character as it does on conflict and explosions. All the better, there’s barely a movie star in sight. The film in question is Serenity, the by-product of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Joss Whedon’s sci-fi series Firefly. Somehow, Whedon convinced Universal to pony up about $45 million to make and show Serenity to multiplex audiences, 95 percent of whom will have never seen the original series, which lasted on Fox for only 11 episodes back in 2002....read the full review

Professional Reviews

Entertainment Weekly "[A] TV season's worth of roller-coastering drama, most of it balanced on the capable shoulders of Fillion, a natural leading man." -- Grade: B 10/07/2005 p.51

Sight and Sound "Many of the film's pleasures are down to small-screen values...and the good-humoured playing of an experienced, non-starry ensemble cast." 11/01/2005 p.78

New York Times "Scene for scene, SERENITY is more engaging and certainly better written and acted than any of Mr. Lucas's recent screen entertainments." 10/28/2005 p.E29

Premiere "Sci-fi connoisseurs will find this esoteric universe quite refreshing; the effects and action are wisely underplayed to keep the focus on its crackling, character-driven story..." 03/01/2006 p.111-112

Uncut 4 stars out of 5 -- "This fantastically funny, inventive triumph defied all the doubters, proving both a smash with sci-fi nerds and a joy for skeptics..." 04/01/2006 p.142

Widescreen Review "Some scenes have a surreal blown-out and hazy appearance that evoke a dreamy mood....The visual effects are effectively incorporated with the live action." 06/01/2006 p.64

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 7 of 10Serenity is a fast-paced, engaging science fiction adventure tale. The emphasis should be on "adventure;" the "science fiction" just gives Whedon (making his directorial debut) an interesting canvas to paint upon. In many ways, the film is old-fashioned. The space-ships are not sleek and streamlined - they're hunks of junk being held together by paperclips and masking tape. The characters talk like they learned English in the 19th century Old West (with occasional Chinese curses thrown in for good measure). And guns fire bullets, not laser blasts. This is one of the key elements that separates the Star Trek camp from the (new) Battlestar Galactica one. Serenity falls in the latter, "retro" category. - James Berardinelli

Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10Science fiction fans will recognize the plot line and most of the characters from a short-lived Fox series named "Firefly," which (I learn in a letter from Stephen McNeil of Sydney, Nova Scotia), was canceled in mid-season, but not before the episodes were carelessly shown out of proper order. What a crock, especially considering that Joss Whedon, the TV series author (and writer-director of "Serenity") earlier created "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," and so deserved the benefit of the doubt..."Serenity" is made of dubious but energetic special effects, breathless velocity, much imagination, some sly verbal wit and a little political satire...Like Brave New World and 1984, the movie plays like a critique of contemporary society, with the Alliance as Big Brother, enemy of discontent...Some of the dialogue sounds futuristic, some sounds 19th-century, and some sounds deliberately kooky. (Captain Mal: "Do you want to run this ship?" Discontented crew member: "Yes." Mal: "Well, you can't"). There are also unanticipated scenes of real impact, including a planet where -- but see for yourself. I'm not sure the movie would have much appeal for non-sci-fi fans, but it has the rough edges and brawny energy of a good yarn, and it was made by and for people who can't get enough of this stuff. You know who you are. - Roger Ebert

ReelViews 8 of 10Serenity is a fast-paced, engaging science fiction adventure tale. The emphasis should be on "adventure;" the "science fiction" just gives Whedon (making his directorial debut) an interesting canvas to paint upon. In many ways, the film is old-fashioned...There are plenty of special effects, including an impressive space battle that, while not on the same level as the one that started off Revenge of the Sith, is nice enough in its own right. But Serenity isn't about effects. It's about narrative and characters, and it does a solid job in both areas. Whedon propels the story along at a breakneck pace, but keeps it smooth enough that we never get lost, and occasionally pauses to allow for character interaction. There are plenty of "fan moments," but they don't interfere with the overall viewing experience...The film leaves open the possibility of future adventures - whether they materialize remains to be seen. Whedon went all-out for the fans with Serenity...For the average movie-goer, the movie may not have the same emotional resonance it achieves for Firefly aficionados, but those who enjoy science fiction adventure will find plenty to appreciate. It's self-contained and entertaining - arguably the two things most necessary for Serenity to soar. - James Berardinelli

Product Attributes

Actor:

Fillion,Nathan

Label:

Mca Home Video

Video Format:

DVD

Customer Reviews of Serenity

Most Recent Reviews

Can the independents put a stop to the ruthless Al

7/8/2011

The key to overpowering the alliance may lie in a girl that is running away from the alliance government. This a story that is set in the future, a rebellion against a corrupt governing body. This is an action packed sci-fi action thriller.

Better than the series!

7/7/2011

This is one incredible movie. No, you don't have to be familiar with the series to enjoy it, but the familiarity will make several moments in the movie that much more tragic. The action here is incredible, and unlike several of the Star Trek movies, the characters don't deviate from their series personnas. The emotional impact of several scenes is so intense it was hard to stay seated. This brings a satisfying end to the storyline the original series had started. But you have to applaud Whedon for being able to tie up all the loose ends he started with just two hours.

Excellent!

Compared to series, this movie falls short

5/6/2007

I've watched the Firefly TV series three times now. I loved the series when it started, but by the time I get to the last disc I have a hard time watching it. It slowly goes from a good comedy to a torture-filled disturbing series. Unfortunately, the movie is like the end of the TV series and NOT the start. I liked it... until the started killing off main characters. If you want to see a great show before the Firefly universe turned dark and ugly, then watch the first two discs in the Firefly TV series. If you don't like the main characters and want to see some of them get killed, then watch the movie.

Must see for Firefly fans

4/19/2007

Wonderful movie that picks up where the television series (firefly) left off. I also recommend listening to the director commentary, because Joss Whedon explains some of his storyline decisions. A must see for any sci-fi fan as well.

This movie was unbelievable.

7/11/2006

This is the best sci-fi/western/comedy I have ever seen. The cast is perfect together. I found out afterward that it was based on the tv show Firefly, which is even better because they have more time to get into the characters and story. Nathan Fillion is awesome. If they don't make a sequel I will be profoundly disappointed and it would be a crime against good cinema. Sit back and be entertained. It really has it all.

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